Converting 4-Cabin to Owners Version ?

[1ercru]

Originally Posted by emcmia

The P43 built by Jeantot Marine preceded the Alliaura P435. P43 models have larger engine rooms, straight drives, lower profile, more sail area.

I should have been more accurate in my earlier post: Privilege 435 is the boat I was thinking of, sorry for the confusion. I fell in love with those Jeantot Privileges, after chartering a 395 and a 482. I even considered buying a 482, however my Admiral has overruled the galley-down layouts. Still, they are strong powerful sailing machines, lot of boat for the money.

[scgator2001]

I have a Privilege 39 4 cabin version and after getting over the obvious negatives, I like what it did get right. Another owner told me a few years ago he did not want a newer Cat. He loved the outdoor layout and now so do I. He convinced me the object is to be in a place where you want to be outside. He sure got that right. Added a hard top over the summer that is much wider than the bimini was and that is another big plus. I have been tempted to take one cabin and convert it to shower and have storage where bed is with a few water proof cabinet doors. That would give port-composting toilet, starboard to holding tank, separate shower and storage in aft port cabin.

[Southern Star]

The price differential between charter boats and owner's versions is based not only upon the layout, but the perceived differences in use/condition and the equipment inventory. Most owner's versions will have less hours on the diesels/saildrives, more care taken in the use of the vessel (like a privately owned used car versus an ex rental car) and more comprehensive equipment for cruising including better ground tackle, larger house battery banks, solar panels/wind generators, electronics, water makers, SSB radios, etc. etc. In the end result, I suspect that an ex-charter boat that is converted from a four cabin to a three cabin layout will never have the same value as a legitimate, non-chartered boat with a 3 cabin 'owner's' layout.

Can a four cabin boat be converted to a three cabin boat? Of course, but IMO those who advise leaving interior bulkheads in place are absolutely correct.

My Solaris Sunstream 40 had a 3 cabin layout (layout 'C') from the factory, which replaced the starboard forward sleeping quarters with a bath tub, shower, vanity and storage area. While there was a different molding for the shower sole and bath tub, all interior bulkheads remained the same. Obviously similar modifications could be made to most boats, but care must also be taken before removing molded interior liners for the berths, etc. which are also often structural. This is probably why the molded liner for the berth in the 4 cabin version of the Sunstream 40 was replaced with a molded bath tub and tub surround to the same height in the three cabin version.

Brad